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Jonas Nader

Offseason Beat

Free Agency Round Up Part 2

The first 24 hours of free agency are in the books, and while a lot went down on Saturday, we're still waiting for some major dominoes to fall such as Kyle Lowry, Paul Millsap and Gordon Hayward. Until those guys are off the board, most of the mid-tier level free agents will have to keep waiting patiently. In case you missed Part 1, Steve Alexander did a great job breaking down the first few hours of free agency here (link). For NBA news and fantasy advice, click here to follow me on Twitter!

The 76ers broke the bank to bring in a pair of veterans, signing Redick to a one-year deal for $23 million and Johnson to a one-year deal for $11 million. While they obviously overpaid, it’s not a bad move when you look at the bigger picture because they still keep their cap space open for the summer of 2018. Plus, they weren’t linked to any big names outside of Kyle Lowry this summer anyways.

Look for Redick to start at the two over Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and see about 28 minutes per game (a guess), meaning he will be a viable late-round target in standard leagues. Redick did recently turn 33, but he’s hit over 2.0 3-pointers per game in five straight seasons and that shouldn’t change on a Philly team that needs floor spacing to complement Ben Simmons. As for Johnson, I wouldn’t expect him to play much except on the nights when Joel Embiid rests, and I actually think he could be behind Richaun Holmes on the depth chart — Holmes was a monster after the All-Star break with 13.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.2 blocks, 1.0 steals and 0.7 3-pointers on 58.1 percent shooting. This also increases the chances of a Jahlil Okafor trade, but the 76ers would get very little in return.

Jrue Holiday had a strong market with the Pacers, Mavericks, Knicks and Nuggets all rumored to be interested, but the 27-year-old PG quickly reached an agreement on a five-year deal worth at least $126 million — the deal includes a player option for the fifth year and could be worth up to $150 million (likely performance-based bonuses). It’s a huge commitment for a player with a troubling injury history, but his talent is undeniable and he managed to stay healthy in 2016-17, missing just three games due to injuries.

Holiday’s numbers took a hit after the All-Star break when the Pelicans brought in DeMarcus Cousins, posting averages of 13.8 points, 7.0 assists, 3.8 rebounds, 1.3 steals, 0.8 blocks and 1.4 treys in that span. That was good enough for sixth-round value in standard leagues, but I would likely take him a bit earlier because I’m expecting his FG percentage to improve — his FG% dipped from 46.9 percent pre-break to 42.6 percent after. Plus, it’s not easy to find a guard who can nearly get you a block per game.

Excluding the $46 million deal for Tony Snell, this was one of the biggest head-scratching moves of the day. The Pistons already have two point guards on long-term contracts in Reggie Jackson and Ish Smith, and while Galloway is more of a combo guard, they also have first-round pick Luke Kennard at SG and are expected to bring back Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in restricted free agency. In short, Galloway is going to be looking at $7 million per season to ride the bench unless the Pistons can find a taker for R-Jax. With career averages of 8.7 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists, fantasy owners can plan on ignoring Galloway next season.

MCW’s career has gone downhill since his rookie season, as he averaged just 6.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists on 36.6 percent shooting with the Bulls in 2016-17. The Hornets said they wanted to upgrade their backup PG spot this summer, but is MCW really an upgrade over Malik Monk? Heck, I’d rather see Briante Weber get a shot at minutes before MCW. The Hornets only signed him to a one-year deal worth $2.7 million, so at least they won’t have trouble moving on if he underwhelms in Charlotte.

The Grizzlies agreed to re-sign 22-year-old SG Wayne Selden to a two-year deal, but the financials are not known yet. The Grizzlies are prepared to lose Tony Allen in free agency, so Selden Jr. will have a shot at minutes if he can outplay guys like Troy Daniels and Wade Baldwin.

Deron Williams was laughable in the playoffs, so the Cavaliers addressed their backup PG spot by agreeing to a one-year deal with Calderon for the veteran's minimum. Calderon is well past his prime at the age of 35, but he’s still a solid 3-point shooter and playmaker and should be able to give them 15-18 quality minutes. This obviously doesn’t move the needle much for Cleveland, though.

We all knew Joe Ingles was going to get paid, but $52 million over four years is steep. However, he is best friends with Gordon Hayward, so maybe this helps the Jazz bring back their All-Star. Ingles really stepped up as a playmaker off the bench last season and broke out after the All-Star break, averaging 8.1 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.9 treys. He should be looking at a role with minutes in the 20s, meaning he could carve out low-end value in standard leagues. On the other hand, If Hayward does end up leaving, Ingles should be the starting SF.

After meeting with what seemed like half the NBA, Andre Iguodala agreed to re-sign with the Warriors on a 3-year, $48 million deal. Of course he could’ve gotten a lot more money elsewhere and there was some rumors that teams were offering $20 million per season, but it’s obviously not easy to turn down the shot at a dynasty in Golden State. Rudy Gay was the backup plan for the Warriors, so that’s no longer an option. Expect Iggy to reprise his role as the 6th man off the bench. He only played 26 minutes per game last season and averaged 7.6 points, 4.0 boards, 3.4 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.8 triples, so his fantasy value will be low once again.

Tucker is already 32 years old, but that didn’t stop the Rockets from giving him a four-year deal worth $32 million. The Rockets aren’t shying away from the Warriors and are all in on this team, and a potential lineup of Paul-Harden-Tucker-Ariza-Capela could be absolutely lethal. Tucjer will be more of a defensive specialist playing next to usage monsters in CP3 and Harden, so I don’t expect him to be relevant in standard leagues outside of the steals category.

The Suns have reportedly offered restricted free agent Alan Williams a new four-year deal in the $5-6 million range per season. Williams does have a strong market, so a team like the Knicks can still swoop in and offer a larger deal — the Suns can still match, though. Alex Len is also a restricted free agent, but the Suns value Williams higher and it’s obvious why after Big Sauce averaged 11.4 points, 9.1 rebounds and 0.8 blocks after the All-Star break. Tyson Chandler is on the trade block and the Suns are all in on their youth, so Williams will be fun to own next season if you’re OK with his poor free throw shooting.

Jeff Zilgitt of USA Today is reporting that Kyle Lowry is expected to remain in Toronto, but at a much cheaper price than originally expected. Instead of a five-year max offer, Zilgitt said the deal could be for $81 million over three seasons, so he would be 34 when the contract runs out. For a player with his injury history, it’s probably a wise move by Toronto to avoid the fourth and fifth year for now.

The Wolves and Suns have reportedly stopped pursuing Paul Millsap, meaning his options right now are probably the Kings, Nuggets and Hawks. It sounds like the Nuggets are currently the favorites, but nothing is imminent right now. Millsap is 32, but a team like the Nuggets are craving for another high-profile star to pair with Nikola Jokic up front. Expect playoff Basketball in Denver next season if they pull this off.

The Cavaliers are in discussions with the Rockets in a deal that would send Iman Shumpert to Houston, but this is expected to be just a salary dump for Cleveland because they would be getting back several non-guaranteed deals. Shumpert has two years left on his deal and the second year is a player option, so it’s not a lock that he will be in Houston’s long-term plans if this trade goes down.

The Raptors would like to move DeMarre Carroll’s awful contract, but will likely have to attach a protected first-round pick to entice other teams. Carroll is owed about $30 million over the next two seasons, but he’s looked washed for a while now and his troublesome knee is really holding him back. If the Raptors can find a taker, Norman Powell could potentially start and has enough upside to warrant the attention of standard fantasy league owners. In 18 starts last season, Powell put up averages of 15.6 points, 3.7 boards, 1.8 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.6 treys.

The first 24 hours of free agency are in the books, and while a lot went down on Saturday, we're still waiting for some major dominoes to fall such as Kyle Lowry, Paul Millsap and Gordon Hayward. Until those guys are off the board, most of the mid-tier level free agents will have to keep waiting patiently. In case you missed Part 1, Steve Alexander did a great job breaking down the first few hours of free agency here (link). For NBA news and fantasy advice, click here to follow me on Twitter!

The 76ers broke the bank to bring in a pair of veterans, signing Redick to a one-year deal for $23 million and Johnson to a one-year deal for $11 million. While they obviously overpaid, it’s not a bad move when you look at the bigger picture because they still keep their cap space open for the summer of 2018. Plus, they weren’t linked to any big names outside of Kyle Lowry this summer anyways.

Look for Redick to start at the two over Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and see about 28 minutes per game (a guess), meaning he will be a viable late-round target in standard leagues. Redick did recently turn 33, but he’s hit over 2.0 3-pointers per game in five straight seasons and that shouldn’t change on a Philly team that needs floor spacing to complement Ben Simmons. As for Johnson, I wouldn’t expect him to play much except on the nights when Joel Embiid rests, and I actually think he could be behind Richaun Holmes on the depth chart — Holmes was a monster after the All-Star break with 13.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.2 blocks, 1.0 steals and 0.7 3-pointers on 58.1 percent shooting. This also increases the chances of a Jahlil Okafor trade, but the 76ers would get very little in return.

Jrue Holiday had a strong market with the Pacers, Mavericks, Knicks and Nuggets all rumored to be interested, but the 27-year-old PG quickly reached an agreement on a five-year deal worth at least $126 million — the deal includes a player option for the fifth year and could be worth up to $150 million (likely performance-based bonuses). It’s a huge commitment for a player with a troubling injury history, but his talent is undeniable and he managed to stay healthy in 2016-17, missing just three games due to injuries.

Holiday’s numbers took a hit after the All-Star break when the Pelicans brought in DeMarcus Cousins, posting averages of 13.8 points, 7.0 assists, 3.8 rebounds, 1.3 steals, 0.8 blocks and 1.4 treys in that span. That was good enough for sixth-round value in standard leagues, but I would likely take him a bit earlier because I’m expecting his FG percentage to improve — his FG% dipped from 46.9 percent pre-break to 42.6 percent after. Plus, it’s not easy to find a guard who can nearly get you a block per game.

Excluding the $46 million deal for Tony Snell, this was one of the biggest head-scratching moves of the day. The Pistons already have two point guards on long-term contracts in Reggie Jackson and Ish Smith, and while Galloway is more of a combo guard, they also have first-round pick Luke Kennard at SG and are expected to bring back Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in restricted free agency. In short, Galloway is going to be looking at $7 million per season to ride the bench unless the Pistons can find a taker for R-Jax. With career averages of 8.7 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists, fantasy owners can plan on ignoring Galloway next season.

MCW’s career has gone downhill since his rookie season, as he averaged just 6.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists on 36.6 percent shooting with the Bulls in 2016-17. The Hornets said they wanted to upgrade their backup PG spot this summer, but is MCW really an upgrade over Malik Monk? Heck, I’d rather see Briante Weber get a shot at minutes before MCW. The Hornets only signed him to a one-year deal worth $2.7 million, so at least they won’t have trouble moving on if he underwhelms in Charlotte.

The Grizzlies agreed to re-sign 22-year-old SG Wayne Selden to a two-year deal, but the financials are not known yet. The Grizzlies are prepared to lose Tony Allen in free agency, so Selden Jr. will have a shot at minutes if he can outplay guys like Troy Daniels and Wade Baldwin.

Deron Williams was laughable in the playoffs, so the Cavaliers addressed their backup PG spot by agreeing to a one-year deal with Calderon for the veteran's minimum. Calderon is well past his prime at the age of 35, but he’s still a solid 3-point shooter and playmaker and should be able to give them 15-18 quality minutes. This obviously doesn’t move the needle much for Cleveland, though.

We all knew Joe Ingles was going to get paid, but $52 million over four years is steep. However, he is best friends with Gordon Hayward, so maybe this helps the Jazz bring back their All-Star. Ingles really stepped up as a playmaker off the bench last season and broke out after the All-Star break, averaging 8.1 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.9 treys. He should be looking at a role with minutes in the 20s, meaning he could carve out low-end value in standard leagues. On the other hand, If Hayward does end up leaving, Ingles should be the starting SF.

After meeting with what seemed like half the NBA, Andre Iguodala agreed to re-sign with the Warriors on a 3-year, $48 million deal. Of course he could’ve gotten a lot more money elsewhere and there was some rumors that teams were offering $20 million per season, but it’s obviously not easy to turn down the shot at a dynasty in Golden State. Rudy Gay was the backup plan for the Warriors, so that’s no longer an option. Expect Iggy to reprise his role as the 6th man off the bench. He only played 26 minutes per game last season and averaged 7.6 points, 4.0 boards, 3.4 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.8 triples, so his fantasy value will be low once again.

Tucker is already 32 years old, but that didn’t stop the Rockets from giving him a four-year deal worth $32 million. The Rockets aren’t shying away from the Warriors and are all in on this team, and a potential lineup of Paul-Harden-Tucker-Ariza-Capela could be absolutely lethal. Tucjer will be more of a defensive specialist playing next to usage monsters in CP3 and Harden, so I don’t expect him to be relevant in standard leagues outside of the steals category.

The Suns have reportedly offered restricted free agent Alan Williams a new four-year deal in the $5-6 million range per season. Williams does have a strong market, so a team like the Knicks can still swoop in and offer a larger deal — the Suns can still match, though. Alex Len is also a restricted free agent, but the Suns value Williams higher and it’s obvious why after Big Sauce averaged 11.4 points, 9.1 rebounds and 0.8 blocks after the All-Star break. Tyson Chandler is on the trade block and the Suns are all in on their youth, so Williams will be fun to own next season if you’re OK with his poor free throw shooting.

Jeff Zilgitt of USA Today is reporting that Kyle Lowry is expected to remain in Toronto, but at a much cheaper price than originally expected. Instead of a five-year max offer, Zilgitt said the deal could be for $81 million over three seasons, so he would be 34 when the contract runs out. For a player with his injury history, it’s probably a wise move by Toronto to avoid the fourth and fifth year for now.

The Wolves and Suns have reportedly stopped pursuing Paul Millsap, meaning his options right now are probably the Kings, Nuggets and Hawks. It sounds like the Nuggets are currently the favorites, but nothing is imminent right now. Millsap is 32, but a team like the Nuggets are craving for another high-profile star to pair with Nikola Jokic up front. Expect playoff Basketball in Denver next season if they pull this off.

The Cavaliers are in discussions with the Rockets in a deal that would send Iman Shumpert to Houston, but this is expected to be just a salary dump for Cleveland because they would be getting back several non-guaranteed deals. Shumpert has two years left on his deal and the second year is a player option, so it’s not a lock that he will be in Houston’s long-term plans if this trade goes down.

The Raptors would like to move DeMarre Carroll’s awful contract, but will likely have to attach a protected first-round pick to entice other teams. Carroll is owed about $30 million over the next two seasons, but he’s looked washed for a while now and his troublesome knee is really holding him back. If the Raptors can find a taker, Norman Powell could potentially start and has enough upside to warrant the attention of standard fantasy league owners. In 18 starts last season, Powell put up averages of 15.6 points, 3.7 boards, 1.8 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.6 treys.